CLIFTON'S CAFETERIA

I last visited downtown LA's historic cafeteria in 2010. A year later, it shut down... But then developer Andrew Meieran took on the renovation and as of this month, the new (and kinda improved) Clifton's is open for business! Holly Madison and I have been waiting for this moment for years... You can cut the line with us.

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Back in 1935..

Clifton's served 15,000 meals a day to Broadway's bustling entertainment crowd. Today, the clientele is a motley crew of senior citizens, eager tourists, and annoying bloggers like me.

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The building itself is 109 years old

But the artifacts and curiosities Meieran incorporated into the buildout date back even further. Like a 1,700 year old redwood that's carved into a bar.

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He's spent over $10 Million on the project

And it shows... The amount of detail in this place is staggering.

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1 restaurant. 4 floors. 5 bars.

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And 1 giant buffalo.

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and a deer.

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Aaaand a lion.

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You get the idea.

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The 3rd floor was laid out like a banquet hall, and things got even crazier.

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In the basement (!?) where the ancient bathrooms hide (!?!?) is - according to Clifton's - the oldest running neon light in the world, installed in the '30s.

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We were told not to eat the turkey.

It's dry.

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So Holly settled for this chocolate birthday cake.

It was dry.

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The food was terrible, but it was worth every penny. It's like Disneyland with homeless people camped at the gate.

I mean, I ate next to a stuffed raccoon.

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This was a weird room.

They're everywhere.

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Eat at Clifton's.

Or don't. Stuff a burrito in your pocket and just eat it inside next to the giant peacocks. That's what I plan to do next time anyway.